New research points to the fact that heart attacks in women are often missed, and offers an explanation for why this might happen with more regularity than it does with men.
Researchers believe that one of the big shortcomings in diagnosing a heart attack within female populations is because of a difference in genetics. The particular gene in question is called RAP1GAP2, and has been identified as a “strong candidate” for why it is harder to identify heart attack symptoms in women than men.
RAP1GAP2 was linked to poor heart conditions in women, but not in men. Researchers are not a hundred percent sure why this is yet. There’s a lot more research needed here still, especially when it comes to those of different races and backgrounds. This study is just starting to scratch the surface.
Over the years, the understanding of heart attack diagnoses have changed. When diagnostics were originally created, the differences in body types, genetics, and even gender weren’t fully taken into account. This particular study highlights this, and creates a tentative path forward to ensure that future tests can help to more accurately diagnose and then treat heart attacks and other medical issues. Just because women experience heart attacks differently than men do doesn’t mean that they should go untreated.
To be sure, there are likely other explanations for inequality in heart attack detection between men and women. Gender discrimination, especially in minority populations, may likely play a hand in this, too. There’s more research needed here, but this study does shed a bit of light on what is happening at a medical level, and also offers a solution for how to rectify it. Hopefully, future researchers are able to continue to build up knowledge in this area so that anyone who has or is at risk of a heart attack can get the care and treatment needed to live as healthy of a life as possible.
The University of Florida based team recently published their study findings in the American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research and Practice.
When someone suffers from a heart attack, or any other health crisis, extra steps often need to be taken when it comes to protecting other aspects of wellbeing. It might be harder for someone to get around the house, take care of themselves like they used to, or socialize with their friends and family like they once were able to.
You have a team of resources on your side–and we’d love to be one of them. Finding the right team to help your family out when it comes to senior care can help take a lot of the burden off your shoulders. Knowing that your older loved one is in trustworthy, professional hands can make life for your entire family a lot better.
Want to know more about how care might benefit those you love? Feel free to give us a call. One of our trained professionals would be happy to go through how care might help in your unique situation during a free consultation session.
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